GREENSBORO, N.C. — The PGA Tour regular-season finale, which began with a celebration of Arnold Palmer's life, ended in bitter disappointment for his grandson, former Clemson golfer Sam Saunders, who didn’t mince words in describing his state of mind after failing to wrap up full status on the Tour next season by a mere two strokes.

“Miserable,” said Saunders, 30, after shooting 1-under-par 69 Sunday at Sedgefield Country Club for an 8-under 272 total in the Wyndham Championship. “It was like the least enjoyable round of golf I’ve played in my life. You don’t know if you’re going to throw up or have a heart attack.

"It’s worse than trying to win a tournament ten-fold.”

Despite a tie for 37th Sunday, Saunders, ranked No. 127 in the FedEx Cup standings entering the tournament, failed to climb the two spots he needed to earn full status on the PGA Tour for next season and qualify for the FedEx playoffs.

He fell to No. 129. If he had finished two strokes better, he would have edged J.J. Henry for the No. 125 spot.

The site of the disappointment was a Sedgefield course only 30 minutes from Wake Forest University, where Palmer had played before embarking on his legendary pro career. On Tuesday, Saunders spoke when the club unveiled a plaque honoring his grandfather, who died at 87 last September.

Saunders lost ground because Henry, Rory Sabbatini, Martin Flores and Harold Varner III finished ahead of him at Sedgefield and climbed over him into the top 125.

Following an opening-round 63 that gave him a leg up on the dozen or so players still fighting for Top 125 status, Saunders shot 68 and 72.

Bogeys at Nos. 7, 8 and 10 Sunday left Saunders desperate for birdies on the final holes. He managed a birdie at 11 and a two-putt birdie from 40 feet on the par-5 15th. But he parred the last three holes, making a 17-footer merely to save par at 18 after hitting his tee shot into rough.

Without full privileges on the Tour next year, Saunders won’t be assured entry into every tournament, leaving his schedule in flux. And he often will draw the least-desirable late-afternoon tee times during the opening round.

“I’ve never had to birdie one (or two) holes to be able to change my life for one year,” said Saunders, who didn't have full status on the Tour this season. “That’s just what kills me. It just changes everything for next year. I’m tired of teeing off last each week and having to climb uphill. It’s such an uphill battle, and it wears you out.”

Saunders said he knew where he stood in the FedEx Cup standings throughout the day. The PGA Tour updated its projected FedEx Cup standings with each hole.

“Everybody knows exactly where they are — no matter what they say,” he said. “If you’re not looking at it, in the back of your mind, you know.”

Saunders could improve his PGA Tour status by finishing in the top 25 in the Web.com Tour finals, but he’d still be below the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings on the priority list. Greenville’s Kyle Thompson, a former University of South Carolina standout, has clinched a top 25 finish in the Web.com Tour regular-season standings and a spot on the PGA Tour.

Former Clemson standouts Lucas Glover and Ben Martin, as well as Greenville native Bill Haas, qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begin Thursday with The Northern Trust in Old Westbury, New York. Haas won the Cup and the $10 million bonus in 2011.

Haas, 36th in the FedEx Cup standings, failed to make the third-round cut at Sedgefield. Martin, who missed the second-round cut — and was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard — enters the playoffs at No. 121.

Glover, 37, had his best year since 2011, when he won the Wachovia Championship, thanks to a switch to a “claw” putting grip that improved his putting.

“I was a little disappointed I didn’t play better this weekend. But this season was gratifying,” said Glover, who shot 69 Sunday to beat Saunders by one stroke at Sedgefield. “There was a time when I wondered whether staying out here was the best thing for my family. It was humbling. It was frustrating. It was motivating. That’s why I was out on the course every morning working on it.”

Jonathan Byrd, Glover’s former Clemson teammate, tied with Saunders after closing with 66 Sunday, including birdies at 15, 16 and 17. Byrd, 70th on the Web.com money list, said he would play next week’s Web.com event in Portland, Oregon, then rest up for the Web.com Tour Finals.